Bayonne, you will fall under its Basque charm. Not of the terrorist kind. (Bayonne)

Member Name: meumeu77

Product:	Bayonne
Date:	30/10/08 (183 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Mild climate, nice architecture, delicious ham and chocolates, Bayonne festival

Disadvantages: Watch out for dog mess in Bayonne streets...

It is impossible for me to be totally unbiased here as I was born in Bayonne and like every Basque person, I am proud of my origins and always enjoy going back there for holidays as some of my family are still there. Handy, isn't it?

But I would still like to write a review on Bayonne if that's ok with you ;o)

First of all, I'd like to explain that even though the press often mentions "terrorists" with the word "Basque", only a tiny minority of people is involved. The Basque Country has 3 provinces in France and 4 in Spain and Bayonne has only ever suffered material damage unlike Spain. So rest assured, you'll be safe there. Bayonne is the official capital of the French Basque Country.

The architecture in the old quarters of Bayonne is beautiful: cobbled streets and old style Basque houses leading to a magnificent cathedral and an imposing town hall facing the Adour river.

The climate is mild for most of the year. It is not uncommon to have warm temperatures in December and March although there are also years when it is cold just like anywhere else.

A bit of history:
In Roman times, Bayonne was known as Lapurdum. Its medieval fortifications were improved by Louis XII, and Francois I to enable the town to defend itself against the Spanish army in 1523.
In the 1670's Vauban (famous for designing fortifications and advising Louis XIV on how to consolidate France's borders) improved Bayonne's fortifications by building a citadel. This, however, did not stop a British invasion and Bayonne was English for 300 years. Le Parc de Caradoc is their legacy. Its cedars, palms and beeches were laid out by Lord Caradoc in the 19th century.

Festivals:
If you're a cured ham fan or chocolate lover then this is the place to go and visit. There's a Bayonne ham fair in March over 3 days where you can taste ham and buy some if you so wish.

A chocolate festival is also held in early May. But you can buy delicious chocolates from various chocolateries/patisseries all year round of course. Apart from the 2 Belgian chocolateries (Leonidas and Jeff de Bruges), the most famous Basque ones are Cazenave, Andrieu and Paries (who also sell exquisite cakes). Daranatz, Puyodebat and Atelier du Chocolat are equally as good although the first 3 have been established longer. These are all in the city centre or could that be town centre?

Despite having a cathedral and university, Bayonne still feels like a town.
With only 40000 inhabitants in the year but possibly around a million people during the festival (yes, it does get hectic there!) as reported in the press, Bayonne is a fairly chilled out city.


Around the 12th of July there is a sought-after Jazz festival over 3 days which welcomed internationally renowned Jazz musicians.

If you go to Bayonne mid-July, there is a Medieval market over 3 days, where merchants dress up in old style clothes and where you can buy really delicious farm products (such as dry sausages, chorizo, cheeses, ham) and homemade jams, cakes, honeys, pancakes. I've been there a couple of times and there is always a very relaxed and jolly atmosphere.

Bayonne also holds a festival every year during the first week of August for 5 days. "Les fetes de Bayonne" is a huge event with lots of people (an estimated million people over the 5 days I think) drinking, singing and dancing.
As in the Pamplona festival, people dress in white t-shirts and trousers and red scarf, red belt and red beret. Some opt for green instead of red.

Don't go thinking however that the festival is just for adults to get drunk. In the daytime the festival accommodates family needs and you can spend 5 fabulous days finding out about Basque traditions, listening to "Bandas" (traditional music groups) playing, watching Basque dancers (wearing the traditional dress).
There are also games and activities and everyday, at midday, from the town hall balcony you can see the legendary King Leon (a giant puppet) wake up and wave at people. Children absolutely love it. And the town hall square does get packed with children and their parents/grandparents. The rest of the "festayres" (people attending the festival at night) are usually in bed still recovering from the night before.

The opening of the festival on a Wednesday night is attended by a massive crowd as national celebrities (with a sport background or other) officially start the festival.
Saturday night is also very busy with a float parade accompanied by traditional Basque music (yes again!) and fireworks. Make sure you hold on to your family/friends as it is easy to get lost in the crowd. People usually tie up their red belts to that of their friends'.
The festival finishes on the Sunday with another show of the float parade and fireworks.
Some festayres who'd love the festival to last longer even turn up the following Sunday attempting to re-enact it. Although that is not much attended I don't think.

Just before the Bayonne festival, there is a big sale going on the last weekend of July, which is called "La Braderie"where shop keepers also put some of their stock outside their shops on stalls and you can get great bargains. As well as the usual shop keepers, there is a great amount of market stalls with over 300 merchants.

I've since found out they organise a similar event early February now.

Bayonne is not as posh as its neighbour Biarritz (famous for its surfing spot). Which is good as it means you can still eat well for a cheap price in "Petit Bayonne" (an area full of bars and little cafes/bistro type restaurants).

How to get there:
You can get there by plane with Ryanair flying from London Stansted, London Luton, Birmingham, Dublin, Shannon and Frankfurt.
Easyjet also fly there for some of the year from Bristol (from May 2009 according to their site).
The airport is actually in the Anglet/Biarritz area but there is a frequent bus going to Bayonne (around 1.20 euros) or you can get a cab from there but it will cost you much more.
If you hate flying, you could get the eurostar to Paris and then get the TGV (high speed train) from Paris to Bayonne. It will take under 5 hours but you'll have to change stations in Paris (from Gare du Nord to Montparnasse).

I am going back to Bayonne for Christmas and cannot wait to show my little boy the Christmas market (with over 50 "chalets" i.e. log cabins). I'll report on that when I know what it's like.

Where to stay:
Depending on your budget, you will find hotels in different price ranges.
Hotel Loustau is a 3 star hotel located by the Adour riverbank near the train station. In low season it will cost you £61/night in total for 2 people, buffet breakfast included. In high season, it will cost you around £75, breakfast not included.

For a more central hotel ie right in the city centre you can stay at Best Western hotel. The prices are similar here but it seems more customers have left positive feedback for Loustau Hotel.

Where to eat:
Le Petit Bayonne is a district located by the Nive riverbank (next to the Adour river) with lots of bars and little restaurants. You can dine there for around 15 euros for a 3 course meal and taste local dishes. We usually go with our instinct or follow the crowd. If a restaurant is fairly busy, it is usually a good sign.

Summary: A lovely city full of traditions, near the Ocean, the Pyrenees and Spain